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No. 10 UC Irvine Beats USC, 6-5, In 12 Innings

LOS ANGELES - Ryan Fisher's RBI single in the top of the 12th inning Tuesday provided the game-winning run as the No. 10 UC Irvine Anteaters beat the USC Trojans, 6-5, at Dedeaux Field. Designated hitter/pitcher Brock Bardeen threw three scoreless innings in relief to earn the victory for the Anteaters. Bardeen allowed three hits and walked two with three strikeouts and also provided the tying run in the ninth with a two-out RBI single.

Cory Olson went 3-for-6 with a double, home run and two RBI for UC Irvine (8-4).

Hector Rabago went 3-for-5 for the Trojans (4-7) while Anthony Vasquez took the loss despite allowing only one run on two hits in three innings of relief. Daniel Cooper also had a strong relief effort for USC, throwing three no-hit innings.

Olson led off the game with a solo shot to left on a 1-1 pitch from Couture. In the UCI second with one out and Ryan Fisher at second, Casey Stevenson hit a ground ball to first. As USC first baseman Keith Castillo tried to turn the double play, Couture was unable to field the throw from Grant Green and Fisher scored the second run.

It was Olson's turn again in the third as he hit a fly ball to center that Garret Houts lost in the lights. After reaching second, Olson would score on DJ Crumlich's RBI single for the 3-0 lead. UC Irvine came up with its fourth run in as many innings on Olson's RBI single after Jeff Cusick started the two-out rally by reaching on Green's error.

Green walked to lead off the Trojan half of the fourth. Green stole second and Castillo later reached on a walk with two outs. A double steal moved the runners and a wild pitch by Hamilton plated the Trojans' first run for the 4-1 score.

Joe De Pinto led off the bottom of the seventh with his second double of the game, lacing a line drive to right. Houts then greeted reliever Matt Dufour with an RBI single over the head of first baseman Jeff Cusick and advanced to third on Green's double down the third base line. Vasquez then brought home Houts with an RBI groundout to first and UCI went to its bullpen again and brought in Eric Pettis. With a 2-0 count, Robert Stock gave USC the 5-4 lead with a two-run shot to right.

Stock entered the game as a pitcher and got out of the two-out jam in the eighth with runners at first and second. In the top of the ninth with one out, Stock walked Crumlich and was called for a balk to move him to second. Orloff then hit a hard ground ball that bounced off a diving De Pinto at third and rolled towards the fence. Crumlich tried to score, but was thrown out at the plate by De Pinto as Orloff moved to second on the double. Bardeen then roped a single to center, scoring Orloff for the tying run.

Eric Deragisch hit a two-out double to left in the 12th off Vasquez and scored when Fisher hit a single to right. Stock led off the bottom of the 12th with a walk and a sacrifice moved pinch runner Alex Kurland to second. Rabago then hit an infield single to put runners at the corners, but Beau Brett struck out looking and Kevin Roundtree flied out to right to end the game.

USC begins a four-game series against Winthrop on Friday (March 13) at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast by a live video webcast, courtesy of TrojanTV All-Access.